Episode Details

TCW Podcast Episode 210 - Accolade Part 2

In our second look at Accolade, we cover the company’s gradual decline in the 90's leading to its acquisition by Infogrames. The desire to expand into console games grew too strong, and Accolade decided to save money on production costs by clean-room engineering the lockout mechanism on the SEGA Genesis. Meanwhile, SEGA was working on an internal revision that would tie their trademarked logo into the startup handshake. This would give them the leverage they needed to sue anyone who reverse-engineered the system. Accolade managed to get the injunction on their games dissolved, but SEGA still retained the option to sue them. Ultimately, Accolade was forced to settle with SEGA to release their games, which left them with ongoing debt that would continue to haunt them. Accolade continued to struggle to grow their franchises. They had the disastrous release of Bubsy 3D, coinciding with the launch of classics like Mario 64, Tomb Raider, and Crash Bandicoot. In the end, Infogrames acquired Accolade, largely due to its distribution network. However, this acquisition was soon overshadowed by Infogrames’ later purchase of GT Interactive. What little was left of Accolade was merged into Infogrames Inc.

Jack Nicklaus Golf (Konami - NES): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOitBakgLKo

Star Control (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFHzXAuB1tE

Hardball! (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkeCqRXihJE

Mega Turrican (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H-qskYLiAE

Onslaught (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-C_CcoE6d4

Mike Ditka Power Football (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xJwyug0_xI

Secrets of the Nintendo Gameboy Logo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1cUIGHZLGA

Les Manley in - Lost in LA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpTnB_nIgcU

Altered Destiney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMqmjiGrkq0

Star Control II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnV8yQ-OQ0c

Outrun (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJdB3Hw8xE

Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind (Genesis): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSkSqtgmBrM

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